This is a rendering of the intermodal center proposed for Easton at the site of the former Perkins restaurant and movie theater.Rendering courtesy of Spillman Farmer Architects

Easton officials say a parking shortage expected to worsen this summer Downtown is postponing construction of the new city hall and transportation center until September.

A month after a ceremonial groundbreaking held March 22, Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said this week construction could have begun in late June or early July.

"But it doesn't make any sense to do that when we know we have a parking shortage Downtown," he said.

"Nothing will happen until September," the mayor also said.

Panto announced the decision after Wednesday night's city council meeting. City officials decided to postpone construction in a Wednesday morning meeting.

Council in March agreed to sell the Alpha Building at 1 S. Third St. and move city hall from there to about 30,000 square feet in the new intermodal center planned a block south.

With the delay, city hall is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2015, Panto said. On schedule to open in fall 2014 at the center is a 375-space parking garage. Beside 8,000 square
feet reserved for the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, there
will be 2,500 square feet for a commercial lease.

The city owns the property and anyone else who operates there would be a tenant.

Easton has been struggling to provide adequate parking over
the past two weeks, Panto said. Parking has been "unbelievable" and the Crayola Experience did not even reopen yet, he said. Renovations at the attraction are scheduled to wrap up in time for Memorial Day weekend.

"Crayola when it opens up in May ... there's going to be an explosion of people in Downtown Easton," Panto said. "There's no doubt about that."

Councilman Ken Brown attributed the lack of parking to the city's growth.

"It's beginning to sprawl," he said.

The city needs time to prepare for the upcoming influx of downtown traffic, he said.

In response to the concern, the city is returning parking meters to the former Perkins and movie theater properties where the city hall and transportation center are planned. That will create 100 parking spaces, Panto said.

City Administrator Glenn Steckman said officials are also looking to extend parking meters up Ferry Street toward Fifth Street, possibly placing additional meter sites on Northampton Street and near Second Street.

In addition, Panto said 40 spots should be available by June 1 in the former Wells Fargo drive-through bank the city purchased in the first block of North Fourth Street.

The city wants to create a situation where visitors will not have to "hunt and search or parking all over the city," Steckman said.

College Hill resident Curtis Ehly told council this week he had "great concerns about parking coming up this summer."

He urged the city to consider trying to use the Northampton County-owned Gov. Wolf Building parking lot or the Northampton County Prison parking lots on nights and weekends. Drivers could park and walk into town, or the city could provide a trolley service, he said.